


Beautifully Broken

by leeanndarling



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bottom Louis, Depressive Thoughts, Happy Ending, I suck at smut, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sex of course, So bad, Suicide Prevention Hotline, harry's studying to be a psychologist, i think that's all, mentions of abuse, nothing major, they bond over trinkets and vinyl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 23:41:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leeanndarling/pseuds/leeanndarling
Summary: Louis's a little broken, but that's okay. Harry's studying to be a psychologist. They bond over thrift shop trinkets and vinyls. They make it okay.





	Beautifully Broken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jungleworms](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jungleworms/gifts).



> My first fic exchange! I hope this does the prompt justice and I hope you enjoy it. I would love to do a sequel considering I didn't end it where I had originally planned.  
> (My mom's been in the hospital for 2 weeks now and things have been hectic)  
> I honestly loved this prompt and I'm really glad I was chosen to do it. So I hope you guys enjoy it, and maybe there will be a sequel soon!  
> (Also I suck at smut. Normally it's better than this. sorry.)

“You call me as soon as you get to your flat, okay?” Anne murmurs, tucking a few stray hairs behind Harry’s ear. She has tears in her eyes, but she’s trying her best to force them away. Her baby was leaving for college.

“I will, mum, it’s only a bit over an hour’s drive,” Harry laughs softly, hugging Anne close again. “I’m not going away forever. I can come home a lot and you can come visit me, too. I’ll be home for the holidays, too.” He’s acting strong, but the truth is that this is slowly killing him inside. His mum is his best friend, and he’s always had her in his life. He isn’t sure how things were gonna be without her.

Anne hugs her son close for a few seconds before she steps back, running her hand through her hair. “You be good, you understand? No parties, no drugs. Focus on your school work and not cute boys,” she teases, pinching Harry’s cheek. “Call me if you need anything, or you just wanna talk. I’m always going to be available.” She sighs shakily. “I love you, H.”

“I love you, too, mum,” Harry whispers, kissing her cheek. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Don’t you worry,” he promises, giving her one last hug before he walks to his car. He buckles in and starts it, waving as he drives away. The moving truck has already left.

As Harry drives, he thinks about what his life is going to be like over the next few months. He’s registered to the University of Sheffield to get a degree in clinical psychology, and classes start in two weeks. He starts his job at the crisis center in just  **a** week. He knows he’s mostly going to be on call until school starts, and then he’ll have day shifts. He only applied because he needs the hours for his classes, but he’s excited nonetheless. He loves helping people. 

He sends his mum a text when he arrives, promising to call her in a couple hours after he gets his stuff moved in. He unlocks the door and lets the movers carry in his bed and dresser, showing them where they belong. He doesn’t have any other furniture, but he doesn’t mind. He’ll look around for other things as he needs them. Once his boxes are officially moved in, Harry lays on his bed and calls his mum.

“Hi, darling,” Anne says happily as she answers. “How’s the flat?”

“I love it,” Harry says honestly. “It’s actually really a nice neighborhood. The flat is a little small, but it’s perfect. You’ll have to come visit me before school starts,” he suggested. “I’m gonna go looking for some furniture tomorrow and hopefully I’ll find something.”

“I’m sure there’s thrift shops somewhere near you,” Anne murmurs. She knows her son inside and out. “You can try to find something. I’ll run to the shop downtown tomorrow and see what I can find as well.”

Harry chuckles a bit, lying flat on his back. “You don’t have to do that, mum. It’ll be expensive to have that driven all the way here. I’ll find something, don’t worry. I’ll be able to find something. And if not, you’ll sleep in my bed and I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Anne tuts quietly. “Nonsense, I-“

“Mum, I’m not letting you sleep on the floor,” Harry laughs quietly. “I’ll be fine, you know that. And I’m not letting you get a hotel, either. You’ll sleep here, and we’ll have dinner together. That’s final.”

Harry goes out the next morning, a list of nearby thrift shops saved in his phone. He’s excited about what he’ll find, ready for new treasures to make their way into his small flat. He loves old trinkets. He finds them endearing, and he usually makes up a background story for each and every one of them. (He has an old teddy bear snow globe that he likes to think was gifted during a war. It’s beat up and has scratches, but he loves it nonetheless). The first couple  **of** stores he goes to are a bust, and he leaves with nothing. The third store, however, catches his attention from the moment he steps in the door. There’s aisles and aisles of knick-knacks, and two more aisles of old vinyl. He immediately grabs a shopping cart and heads for the vinyl. He's got a small collection, but he definitely wants more. He starts at the end of the aisle and gets lost in his own mind. He almost doesn’t hear the small voice that comes from behind him.

“Are you finding everything alright, sir?”

Harry turns around and feels his breath leave. The boy standing in front of him is gorgeous. Couldn’t be older than twenty, and the shy smile on his face makes him look even younger. He’s got wispy brown hair draped across his forehead, and a too-big jumper hanging off his small body. His name tag says ‘Louis’ and Harry thinks that’s a beautiful name. He almost drops the vinyl he’s holding.

“Uh- yeah, yeah,” Harry nods after a few minutes, realizing the boy is just staring at him. “Just wanting to add to my vinyl collection. Never been in here before.”

“Ah, I see,” Louis nods, still smiling a bit. He motions to the album Harry is holding. “ABBA’s greatest hits. Definitely one of the best ever made,” he nods. “If you don’t have that one already, I recommend it. And on Tuesdays, vinyl is half off. Take advantage,” he teases, biting his lip.

“I was planning on it,” Harry blushes, laughing a bit. “I love ABBA. And I love sales,” He hums. 

“If you need any help finding anything, just let us know, yeah?” Louis murmurs, glancing up at Harry. “My name is Louis, and I’ll just be in the next aisle over.”

“Thank you, Louis,” Harry says softly, watching as Louis walks away. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, trying to focus on the vinyl in front of him. He picks a few more before he leaves the area, going to the back of the store where the furniture is located. He looks around at the couches they have, frowning slightly. None of them stand out to him. 

“We get more furniture in tomorrow,” Louis says softly, letting out a surprised giggle when Harry jumps. “Sorry, mate. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Harry huffs quietly, looking down. “Didn’t scare me,” he mumbled. 

“Whatever you say,” Louis smiles. “But yeah, we get more furniture tomorrow if nothing here is catching your eye. And Wednesdays are when we do free deliveries for big purchases.”

“You’re just full of specials, aren’t you?” Harry smiles, raising his eyebrow. “Definitely know how to keep a customer coming back.”

Louis blushes at that, looking down at his feet. “Just like to make sure people are happy, y’know? Gotta make sure everybody is taken care of.”

“Well, I’ll definitely be back tomorrow,” Harry smiles, looking down in his cart. “I think I’ll stick with the vinyl today. Can’t miss out on the half price, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Louis says, a soft smile on his face. “I’m glad we could help. Have a good day,” he murmurs, walking off down an aisle.

When Harry leaves the store, he can’t help but think about the guy from the store. He’s beautiful, but very reserved. He definitely hopes the boy is there Wednesday. Harry goes up to his flat and puts on ABBA’s Greatest Hits, singing along as he texts his mum an update. His flat seems very empty. He still needs cabinets and shelves to put his knick-knacks on, and he needs more to make sure his whole apartment was filled. He wants to make it a home.

-

When Louis gets off work later that evening, he takes his time to gather his things. Debra, one of his favorite coworkers, comes over to make small talk while they clean up. Most of Louis’s co workers only work a few hours a day, but Louis almost always works all day. The less time he spends at home, the better. Don’t get him wrong- he absolutely adores his sisters and loves to spend time with them. However, Louis’s home life is miserable. He holds his breath as he walks in the front door of his house, waiting. Just waiting for the onslaught of terrible words and harsh hands, but nothing comes just yet. He takes a few more steps in, looking around.

“Lottie?” he calls out gently, taking his jacket off.

“Lottie isn’t home tonight.”

Louis freezes, knowing the slight slur in his step-dad’s voice means trouble. He stays still, trying to keep his breathing even to show he’s calm. Before Louis can even turn around, he feels a sharp pain on his shoulder blade as a beer bottle shatters against it. He whimpers to himself but doesn’t make a noise otherwise. He slowly turns around, exhaling through his nose. Mark is standing there, a sideways smirk on his face.

“You’re home late tonight,” Mark scoffs as he stumbles towards Louis. “As usual. What’s wrong, Lou? Don’t wanna be with your family?”

“You’re not my family,” Louis murmurs through gritted teeth. “I had work, you know that. Where are the girls?”

Mark shrugs as he pats Louis’s cheek sharply. “They’re with grandma tonight. Don’t worry about them.” He grabs Louis’s wrist tightly to keep him from running away. “You’re not going anywhere. You know you’re supposed to be home by nine on Thursdays, Louis. I’ve got shit I need to do.”

“I’m an adult, you can’t stop me from leaving,” Louis snaps, but his eyes are watering. Mark’s grip is tight enough to bruise. “I have to work! You can’t stop me!”

“Thursdays are my boys’ nights,” Mark spits, the stench of alcohol leaving his mouth. “You’re supposed to be home to watch the girls, but no! You’re too much of a disappointment to even do that, aren’t you? Had to bother grandma and make her deal with your sisters because you’re too lazy to. Your mum would be so ashamed of you, Louis!”

Louis narrows his eyes and yanks himself away from Mark. He shoves the man backwards, partially shocked by his own strength. “Don’t you dare say that!” he yells, clenching his fists. “My mum would never be ashamed of me! Fuck you!” He’s silenced by a sharp slap to his cheek, the skin stinging immediately.

“Don’t raise your voice at me, you faggot,” Mark scowls. “You need to learn some respect. Someone is gonna beat the shit out of you for your mouth one day. And you’re gonna deserve every minute of it!”

Louis manages to pull himself away and runs upstairs, locking himself in the bedroom. He hates being home on nights where the girls were gone. Mark was always especially mean on those nights, not having to worry about the girls hearing or seeing anything. He wants the girls to think that he’s a good dad, but they see the way he treats Louis. They all hate it, but none know what to do. They’re too scared to speak out against their dad. So instead, they watch in silence.

When Louis goes into work the next day, he’s got another baggy jumper on to make sure his arms are covered. His cheek is slightly red, but nothing too bad. He stole a bit of Fizzy’s foundation to cover it as best as he could, but it still wasn’t perfect. He throws himself into work immediately to keep himself distracted. He’s helping inventory items when he hears a familiar voice behind him.

“I’m back,” Harry giggles quietly as he walks up to Louis. “Nice to see you again.”

Louis smiles softly and turns to face Harry. He can see the boy’s eyes trail over the mark on his face, but thankfully Harry keeps his mouth shut. “Hello there,” he murmurs. “Back to look at the furniture, yes? We just got a bunch in this morning.”

“I’m definitely liking what I see,” Harry nods, looking over the different furniture items. “Are you able to help me while picking out some stuff? I don’t want to keep you from your job.”

Louis shrugs and grabs a sharpie and some paper. “I’m here to help,” he smiles. “I can mark whatever you like to be sold so you can continue to shop after. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds fabulous,” Harry grins. “And what time is delivery?”

“First round of deliveries leaves in-“ Louis stops and looks up at the clock. “One hour. So as long as you make your decision in the next half hour, there will be time to load it up and send it out.”

“Ooh, then we better get working,” Harry giggled, hurrying into the furniture department. He immediately picks out a tall bookshelf. The paint is a bit chipped, but he doesn’t care. It’s got character and he’s happy with his first choice. Louis marks the piece as sold and smiles a little, following behind Harry. The two boys are mostly quiet as they move through the large room. Harry’s picking out tables and chairs, keeping his eye out for a good couch. He finds a second bed as well, a small full-sized bed for the guest bedroom in his flat.

Off in the corner, Harry sees the perfect couch. It’s a three-seater, and the upholstery is in fairly good condition. He walks over and sits down on it, smiling softly. “Ooh, comfy,” he grins, patting the spot next to him.

Louis sits down as well, a small smile on his face. “They brought this piece in this morning. It was definitely a favorite of mine.”

“It’s a favorite of mine, too,” Harry grins. “So, I definitely want this piece as well. And I think I’m done, actually.”

“Couch, table and chairs, bookshelf, and a bed,” Louis hums, pinning a sold sign on the corner of the couch. “I think you’re all set to go, really. I can make sure all of these items get loaded into the truck for delivery. You can fill out the paperwork at the front desk. Your tag color is pink.”

“Ooh, my favorite,” Harry giggles quietly, winking at Louis. “I’ll go do that now and look around some more. I’ll see you next time, Louis. Thank you so much for all your help.”

“Thanks for shopping here,” Louis smiles, giving Harry a small wave before he walks away.

Harry spends the next few days unpacking everything in his flat, giving all of his little trinkets and knick-knacks a special home. He sings to himself quietly as he unpacks and hopes his neighbors don’t get upset.

The day Harry starts his job at the crisis center, he’s nervous. His first few days are just training on how to handle phone calls. He’s a very sensitive person, but he knows he can’t let that affect him or his work. When he finally gets his first night on shift, he’s insanely nervous. He’s pacing in his bedroom at two in the morning, waiting for his first call. He’s on call, so he’s just getting the overflow calls. The phone finally rings, and Harry’s breath catches in his throat.

-

Louis holds onto his phone tightly, tears streaming down his face. The number to the suicide hotline is up on his phone. He’s not feeling suicidal necessarily, but he’s definitely feeling confused and scared. He needs help. By the time Louis finally presses call and the connection happens, he almost hangs up. Almost. 

“Suicide prevention hotline, who am I speaking to?”

Louis chews on his bottom lip for a minute. “Do I have to give my real name?” he asks quietly.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t wanna tell me,” the man says, his voice soft and kind. “You can give me whatever name you wanna give.”

“I’ll go by Will,” Louis says softly. “And what can I call you?”

“You can call me H,” the man murmurs. “How are you doing tonight, Will?”

Louis can’t help but chuckle a little. “Not great, obviously,” he murmurs. “Been a pretty shit day at work, if I’m honest. It was very busy, and I had a few rude customers.”

“Rude customers are definitely the worst. I don’t know why some people think that they need to take their frustration out on retail workers.”

“Exactly,” Louis sighs softly. “Like, it’s not my fault that we don’t have that specific shirt in your size. I hate when people yell at me. It makes me really uncomfortable. I’m just a really sensitive person.”

Louis rambles for at least another half hour, H only speaking up when Louis asks for a response. He doesn’t realize how good it feels to talk about everything until it’s out in the open. Once he’s done talking about the downsides of work, he stays quiet for a few minutes.

“My mum died about a year ago,” Louis finally says. “I miss her a lot.”

H lets out a slow breath. “I can only imagine how hard that is for you, Will. Were you two close?”

“She was my best friend,” Louis whispers, voice cracking. “I-I came out to her right before she died.”

“And how did she react?”

“She said she was so proud of me, and she loved me just as much as she did before,” Louis says softly. “But my step-dad… he says my mum died of shame. He says that my mum was getting better, and the shame of having fag for a son killed her.”

“Will, you know that isn’t true,” H says softly, but sternly. “I don’t know much about the situation, but I can guarantee you that isn’t true. If your mum said she loved you, then she loved you. How has your step father been handling the death?”

“He hits me,” Louis breathes, feeling his heart clench at finally admitting it to someone. “He hits me and hurts me pretty often. Says I deserve it for killing my mum.”

H takes a shaky breath, sounding like he’s a little taken aback by the information. “Have you told anybody, Will? Anybody you can trust?”

“I’m over eighteen, so the police don’t really care,” Louis mumbles. “I know that my little sisters can sometimes see the bruises, but I do a pretty good job at keeping them hidden. He doesn’t touch them because they’re good kids. They did nothing wrong. I check them for bruises pretty often,” he admits. “They don’t lie to me.”

“I can give you some information for domestic violence situations,” H says softly. “I’m assuming you’re living at home, correct?”

Louis sighs, falling back onto his bed. “Unfortunately, yes. I don’t have enough money to move yet.”

“Here at the center, we have plenty of resources. There are charities and organizations that can help you financially. They can get you into a flat of your own and help you with the first month’s bills. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

Is it? Louis chews on his bottom lip, letting the information sink in. “I’m not ready to leave my sisters,” he says softly. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, there’s nothing to apologize for,” H promises. “Whenever you feel you’re ready, you’re welcome to stop by the center or call back for information. We’re here to help you, okay? Our phone lines are open twenty-four hours a day.”

Louis sits up quickly when he hears a car pulling into the driveway. “My step-dad is home from work,” he whispers. “I have to go. Thank you for talking to me, H.”

“It’s my pleasure,” H says softly. “Don’t hesitate to call back if you need anything at all. Someone will always be here to answer your call, Will. Have a good evening.”

Louis hangs up the phone and pretends to be asleep so his step-dad didn’t get mad.

Half an hour away, Harry’s sitting on his bed with tears in his eyes and phone in his hand. It was his first night on call after training, and he definitely wasn’t expecting his first call to be that emotional. His heart was aching for Will. He seemed like a broken boy with a big heart. The chances of Harry being connected to that call again are slim, but he hopes for the best anyway. He hopes Will gets the help he needs.

When Harry starts school the next week, he’s immediately overwhelmed. All his teachers give assignments on the first day. He doesn’t really speak to anybody in his classes at first. Everyone was still adjusting. That afternoon when he gets home, he runs himself a bath. While the bath is filling, Harry puts on his favorite Beatles record. It helps him relax as he sits down in the hot bubbles. Getting a degree in clinical psychology was going to be tough for sure, but he definitely wasn’t expecting to be this run down on his first day. He lays his head back against the wall, running over his assignments in his head. He’s definitely in for a lot of stress. 

Time gets away from him and before he knows it, it’s Saturday. He hasn’t called his mum all week They’ve texted a few times, but that’s it. Harry knows his mum is worried about him. He finally sits down on Saturday afternoon to call her and she answers on the first ring.

“Harry, love!” Anne says happily. “It’s so good to hear from you, darling. How was your first week in school?”

“A bit hectic,” Harry says honestly, falling back onto his bed. “I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into, mum.”

Anne tuts quietly as she stirs her tea. “You’re gonna do just fine, H. The first week is always a bit much, okay? I promise things are gonna be just fine.”

“Do you really think that I can handle this?” Harry whispers. “Do you think I’m gonna be able to make it as a psychologist? What if I’m just setting myself up to fail?”

“Hey, don’t you dare talk like that,” Anne frowns. “You’re going to do great. You’re so smart, Harry. Don’t let the first stressful week of school get you down. You’re gonna be an absolutely amazing psychologist, I promise. I know it. I believe in you, darling.”

“Thank you, mum,” Harry says quietly. “It’s just been really hard. I-I had my first call last week. I can’t talk about it, but mum… It was so heartbreaking.”

“I bet it was, darling,” Anne murmurs. “I’m sorry. But I know that you did a good job in making that person feel better. You always help everybody out, my love. And you know you can call me when you need to talk to someone. I won’t let you give up.”

Harry laughs quietly. “I know you won’t, mum. Thank you for everything. I’m gonna go visit the thrift shop, okay? I’ll send you pictures if I find anything cool. I can have Louis help me out.”

“Louis, hmm?” Anne giggles quietly, sipping on her tea. “And who might Louis be?”

“Louis is just the employee at the thrift shop,” Harry laughs a bit. “He helped me find furniture and some cool records.”

Anne hums softly. “And it sounds like you have a crush on him,” she says. “I can hear it in your voice.”

“What? I-no, mum, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harry stammers, blushing brightly. “I mean, he’s cute- but I don’t have a crush or anything. I barely even know him, mum.”

“I’ll check back in a few weeks then,” Anne teases. “I bet your answer will be quite different then, my love.”

“Bye, mum,” Harry says a bit loudly, rolling his eyes. “I love you. Call you soon!”

“I love you, too,” Anne laughs as she hangs up, finishing her tea.

An hour later, Harry’s walking into the thrift shop. He’s secretly hoping to see Louis, but he tries not to get his hopes up too much. He grabs a cart and starts looking around, searching for some little trinkets to put on his bookshelf. He doesn’t see Louis around. He sighs quietly as he looks over the shelves.

Suddenly, there’s a soft voice from behind Harry. “Hey stranger. Haven’t seen you in a few days.”

Harry turns around- and there’s Louis. Harry tries to hide his excitement, but he can’t contain the smile that breaks out over his face. “Hey,” he smiles. “First week of uni has kicked my ass, honestly.”

“So you have to de-stress by shopping for knick-knacks,” Louis nods, trying to stay serious. He finally breaks and lets out a little giggle. He’s not wearing his apron today, just some jeans and a soft jumper. 

“Well yes, of course,” Harry grins. “I have to shop my troubles away. It’s what my sister taught me to do.”

“Y’know, I never did catch your name,” Louis murmurs. “If you’re gonna become a regular here, I should probably learn your name.”

Harry laughs quietly. “My name is Harry,” he murmurs. “Harry Styles. Are you off work, Louis?”

“Yeah, I am,” Louis nods. “I don’t mind hanging out for a bit, though, if you’d like some help looking for some neat decorations.”

“That would be great,” Harry smiles brightly. “Thank you. I’ve been in need of some good ones. My flat is looking pretty bare, honestly. It’ll be nice to have someone else help me pick some out.”

“Great,” Louis smiles shyly. “Let’s pick you out some trinkets, shall we?”

While the boys shop, they get to know each other. Harry learns about Louis’s siblings. He’s got five younger sisters, and one brother. Harry can’t even imagine having a family that big. He grew up with just his mum and sister, which is why he’s so feminine- at least that’s what he tells Louis. By the time they finish looking at all the knick-knacks, Harry’s got at least a dozen little figurines in his basket. He hadn’t even realized how long he had been there.

“Well, Louis,” Harry hums, smiling a little as he gets in line. “If you’re not doing anything after this, would you like to come get some coffee with me? There’s a nice little cafe down the road. We can grab some dinner there if you’d like.”

“Oh,” Louis blushes, looking down at his feet. “I- um-”

Harry groans internally. He completely misread the situation. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I overstepped. I’m so sorry, Louis.”

“No!” Louis says quickly. “I’d love to grab dinner with you, Harry. I just- I haven’t been asked in a while, so it just caught me off guard.”

“Oh-okay,” Harry smiles a little, looking down at his feet. His mum was right. He has a crush on Louis, but he won’t be admitting it to her any time soon. “That would be great. I’ll just pay for these and we can go,” he smiles, putting his items up on the counter. “Do you wanna ride with me or follow?”

“I can follow you,” Louis murmurs. “That way you don’t have to drive back this way to bring me to my car.”

Harry pays for his items and walks out to the parking lot with Louis, going to his car first. “Okay. I’ve got the silver car over there,” he points at it across the parking lot. “The cafe is just a few blocks up from here.”

“I think I know the one,” Louis smiles softly. “See you in a few minutes, yeah?”

Harry smiles and nods, hurrying to his own car to put his items away. He drives down the road to the cafe a bit slowly. He can see Louis’s car in his rearview mirror, and the sight makes him giggle a bit. It had been a while since he had been on a date. His last relationship hadn’t ended too well, so he was never really eager to jump back into the swing of things. He’s had a few hookups here and there, but definitely nothing serious.

Ten minutes later, the two boys are sitting in a small booth in the back, warm tea in their hands. Louis’s smiling shyly, keeping his sleeves down to his wrists.

“So what do you do in your free time?” Louis hums, setting his mug down. “Besides walking around the thrift, of course.”

“I’m a full time student at the University of Sheffield,” Harry giggles. “I’m studying to become a clinical psychologist. Collecting vintage trinkets is just a hobby of mine. What about you?”

“I just work full time at the thrift,” Louis shrugs. “I spend my extra time at home with my siblings. I’ve thought about taking some classes, but I never got around to it.”

“Why not?” Harry asks softly, eyebrows furrowing. “I mean- Uni can really open some doors career wise.”

“I just don’t have the brains for it,” Louis laughs, but there’s something strained in his voice. “I didn’t do great in secondary. I’d have to take very basic classes honestly.”

Harry nods and sips on his tea, deciding not to push it. “Well, Uni isn’t going anywhere. Classes will always be available.” He smiles a little, sitting up straighter when their food arrives. The two stay quiet as they eat their sandwiches, smiling at each other every so often. It just feels right to Harry. They click.

“Thanks for dinner, but I should be getting home soon,” Louis murmurs, biting his lip as they stand up from the table. “My sisters are going to be expecting me.”

“Yeah, of course,” Harry nods, following Louis out to his car. “I had a fun time tonight. I don’t really know anybody here, and I haven’t really made any friends in my classes,” he blushes softly. “So it was good to actually spend time with someone.”

Louis smiles a little and takes Harry’s phone from him, adding his number. He sends a quick text to himself so he has Harry’s number as well. “Text me if you’re bored, yeah?” he murmurs. “I’m a good listener.”

“Thanks,” Harry whispers, his heart beating a little faster. “Drive safe, okay? Text me when you get home and I’ll do the same.” He takes a deep breath and leans forward, giving Louis’s cheek a quick peck. When he pulls back, they’re both blushing deeply. “I’ll see you later, Louis.”

Harry rushes back to his car and gets in, groaning loudly. Why did he do that? What if Louis wasn’t even interested? He mentally kicks himself the whole drive home. Meanwhile, Louis’s leaning against the side of his car, a small smile on his face as he touches the spot where Harry’s lips touched his cheek. He’s been on a few dates since he came out, but none of the guys stayed around. They left the minute they realized Louis had commitment issues. He hopes Harry’s not the same way. 

That night after he texts Harry that he made it home, Louis dials the number to the hotline again. He’s called twice this week already, but he doesn’t care. While tonight was amazing, Louis still feels terrible. He hits call and chews his bottom lip until someone answers.

“Suicide prevention hotline, how can I help you?” The voice sounds tired, and a tiny bit familiar.

“I just-I don’t know,” Louis whispers. “I’ve had quite a few bad nights this week. Tonight wasn’t as bad, but I feel guilty for tonight being good.”

“That can be pretty normal with depression,” the man says softly. “You’re allowed to have fun and have good days, but depression can make you feel terrible about feeling good.”

“So it’s not bad to feel guilty like this?” Louis breathes. “I went on a date tonight. My first date in a while. He kissed me goodnight and…” He sighs shakily. “My mum died a few days after I came out of the closet to her. She had cancer. My step-dad tried to say she died of shame, so I feel terrible that I had a good date with a guy.” The man is silent for a few minutes, and Louis can hear him shifting around a bit. “Hello?”

“Sorry, I’m here,” he murmurs. “I’m going to ask you a question, but you have every right to tell me no or hang up. Are you Will?”

Louis’s breath catches in his throat slightly. It never even crossed his mind that he might get the same person during his calls. “Yeah, that’s me,” he whispers. “Are you H? From my call last week?”

“Yes, I am,” H says quietly. “I’m glad you called when you got stressed. We can work through this together.”

“I’ve actually called a couple times since,” Louis admits. “You really helped me the first time. Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome,” H murmurs. “Did you have a good time on the date? Do you like the guy?”

“I had a really good time,” Louis says softly. “We didn’t do anything crazy. We just went out for some dinner after I got off work. I’ve actually had a huge crush on the guy since the moment I saw him at my job.” Louis hears a sharp intake of breath, but he ignores it. “He’s really cute and sweet, and he’s just so caring. He let me go on and on about my sisters and didn’t even interrupt me. And- sorry,” he blushes as he stops. “I shouldn’t be going on about that.”

“You can tell me anything you want to tell me,” H promises. “My job is to be here for you and help you feel a bit better. So if you’d like to tell me about this guy, go right ahead.”

Louis smiles a little, even though the man can’t see him. Louis’s reminded of Harry a bit. “Thanks,” he murmurs. “I really like this guy. And I feel a little crazy for it cause I’ve only talked to him a handful of times. He just- he gives off a good vibe and he seems to really like me as well. Usually I come on too strong and I scare guys away. That’s why I’ve never had a serious boyfriend. They just all leave. I don’t want him to.”

“If you feel comfortable enough to explain your situation, or at least the basics of it, I’m sure he’d understand,” H suggests. “He seems like he’s a very understanding person. Or you could just explain to him that you have some demons to work through and you require patience.”

“I like the second idea,” Louis says softly. “Thanks again for helping me through this, H. I really appreciate it. I’m gonna go take a nice bubble bath and text the guy.”

“Sounds like a plan,” H chuckles. “You have a good night, Will. Glad your date went well.”

Louis hangs up and does just as he says, sending Harry a quick text as he fills the bathtub up with hot water.

-

Harry gets off the call and falls back onto his bed. He feels insane for even thinking it, but he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. Will reminds him a lot of Louis, and the boy even talked about going on a date after work. Harry just can’t help but think that it’s Louis calling the hotline. His thoughts are practically confirmed when he receives a text from Louis.

**_‘Thanks for a great night, Harry. I’d love to go out again sometime.’_ **

Louis is Will. He’s the boy calling the suicide prevention hotline. It hits Harry fairly hard. Louis has always seemed a bit worn down when Harry’s seen him at the thrift store, but he’s overall happy when Harry sees him. Harry’s even more motivated to become a psychologist. Someone who talks to Louis at the thrift store would never even realize how depressed the boy was. Harry chews on his bottom lip as he replies to Louis’s text.

**_‘Anytime, Louis. Let me know when you’re free again and we can do something else.’_ **

Harry sets his phone down on the nightstand as he sighs. He doesn’t know how he’s going to bring this up with Louis. He can’t just say ‘Hey, so you called the suicide line?’ He’s not sure what he’s going to do.

So he does nothing. 

Another month passes slowly. Harry’s beyond stressed due to school, but he makes weekly trips into the thrift store to see Louis. His vinyl collection has almost doubled, but he doesn’t even care. He loves going to see Louis at work. They go on a few more dates, but nothing formal. Neither of them really have time. At the end of October, Harry’s teachers give the students a few days off for Halloween, and he’s also off work. He takes the opportunity to ask Louis out on a formal date, and the boy thankfully accepts.

Louis’s partially freaking out as he stands in front of his closet. He doesn’t have a clue what to wear. Harry only told him to dress nice, but that could mean anything. He sorts through his shirts slowly, small whines coming from his lips. Lottie enters Louis’s room slowly, eyebrows furrowed. 

“What’s up, Lou?” Lottie asks quietly. “You seem a little stressed. Is everything okay?”

“I have a date tonight,” Louis admits. “And I have no clue what to wear. Just supposed to be something nice. I haven’t been on a real date in over a year, Lotts, I’ve got no idea what I’m doing.”

“Ooh, a date?” Lottie giggles, immediately beginning to look through Louis’s clothes. “Who with? Did they say where you two were going?”

Louis shakes his head as he pushes the sleeves of his jumper up. “It’s with Harry, the guy who comes to the thrift a lot. He’s finally asked me out on a proper date and I have absolutely no clue what to wear!”

“Something with long sleeves for sure,” Lottie says quietly, pulling Louis’s sleeves down to cover the bruises on his arms. “Good thing it’s fairly chilly outside.”

“Yeah,” Louis whispers. “He’s not seen any of the bruising, thank god. I wouldn’t know how to explain it.”

“I wish I could do something to help, Lou,” Lottie murmurs, sniffling quietly. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Hey, hey.” Louis cups Lottie’s cheeks gently. “There’s nothing you can do, love.  I don’t want you risking your own safety by trying to help me. I’m okay, yeah? I’m still here. I’m working on it all. Right now, I just need you to help me pick out a shirt right now. I’m gonna wear my good jeans.”

Lottie smiles a little as she wipes her eyes. “I think you should wear your light grey jumper,” she hums, grabbing it off the hanger. “It’s casual, but also nice enough that it could be formal if you needed it to be. Harry probably would’ve said to dress formal if you were going anywhere fancy.”

“True, true,” Louis nods, smiling softly. “Think you can help me recover my cheek, love? The bruise is fading, but it’s still too dark to not cover.”

“Of course,” Lottie grins, pulling Louis across the hall to her bedroom. “Can I put some mascara on you, too? Please Lou?”

“Sure, love,” Louis chuckles. “I like the way it makes my eyes look. I’m sure harry will love it, too.”

Twenty minutes later, Louis’s dressed and on the road to Sheffield. His lashes are coated in mascara and his cheeks have some highlighter on them. In the passenger seat is a small package of makeup remover wipes just in case Louis’s step-dad is home when he gets home. Lottie always helps him stay prepared. He meets Harry in the parking lot of the thrift store. He gets in the boy’s car, a shy smile on his face. 

“Hey, Harry,” he hums, buckling up.

“Hi,” Harry smiles, slowly pulling out onto the road. “You look really good. Are you wearing makeup?”

“Just some mascara and highlighter,” Louis blushes softly. “I let Lottie do it. Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Harry grins. “So I figured we could have a little picnic, and then go back to my place to hang out? I can show you my full vinyl collection.”

“That sounds great, honestly,” Louis nods. “Where are we going on a picnic, hmm?”

“Birch Hill at the Sheffield Botanical Gardens,” Harry hums. “I’ve fallen in love with that place. I’ve wanted to take you there for a while,” he admits. “It’s such a beautiful place.”

They arrive soon enough and Harry grabs the picnic basket from his backseat. He holds Louis’s hand as they walk to the area Harry’s got picked out. They haven’t shared a proper kiss yet, but Louis can feel the nervousness between the two of them. He feels like the kiss is going to happen today.

“I got your favorite sandwich from our cafe,” Harry says as he spreads out the blanket, opening the basket. “And I have some crisps. Oh! And I made cookies,” he grins, pulling all the food out. “Would you like water or soda? I have both.”

“This is perfect, Harry,” Louis whispers. “I’ll have a water for now, thank you.”

As the boys eat, they share stories about the week they’ve had. They catch each other up, Harry telling stories of things he’s seen on campus and Louis telling stories of some crazy customers. The sexual tension is thick between them, but neither of them seem to care. When they finish their lunch, they lay down on the blanket and watch the clouds blow by. Louis stays quiet for a bit before he leans up on his elbows to look at Harry. 

“Can I talk to you about something?” Louis asks quietly, biting his lip as Harry notices the nervousness in his voice.

“Yes, anything,” Harry nods. His voice is calming and soft, and Louis instantly thinks of his talks with H on the phone.

“I really want this to work between us,” Louis breathes. “I really fucking want this, Harry. But I just need you to know that you’re gonna have to have a lot of patience with me. I have a lot of baggage, but I need you to give me a chance. I just need patience.” He sees something shift in Harry’s gaze, but he can’t quite pin it.

“That’s completely fine,” Harry promises, pulling Louis into his lap. The movement makes both of the boys blush. “I want this, too, Louis. I really like you. I’m a very patient person, love,” he murmurs, smiling a little. “I promise we can make this work, don’t you worry.”

The confirmation is all Louis needs. He leans forward quickly and presses their lips together, not able to help the small moan that leaves his lips. He kisses with an eagerness and passion that Harry matches easily. Louis pushes his tongue past Harry’s lips to deepen the kiss, but Harry takes over from there. He turns them over so Louis’s pinned between Harry’s chest and the blanket below them. He kisses down Louis’s neck instead, nipping at the sensitive skin. 

“Fuck, Harry,” Louis gasps, arching his back. “Wait wait wait. We’re in public, Harry. We need to be careful about what we do.”

“Would you like to continue this at my place?” Harry breathes, licking his lips. “Or we can just go back and listen to music. Whatever you’d like to do.”

Louis reaches down between them, resting his hand on Harry’s waistband. “I can feel you against my thigh,” he whispers. “Believe me, there’s nothing I want more than to get my hands on you, Harry.”

Harry lets out a long groan, and immediately begins to pack up their belongings.

They’re in Harry’s flat for approximately thirty seconds before Harry has Louis pinned against the door. He kisses down the boy’s neck, lifting him off the ground. Louis’s legs wrap around Harry’s waist as the two make their way to the bedroom. Their clothes come off in a frenzy, but neither of them care. Harry grabs lube and a condom from the nightstand as he turns Louis onto his stomach. Louis pulls his knees up, pushing his ass up. This is a new side of Louis, but Harry really likes how eager the boy is. 

“Fuck, Lou,” Harry whispers, pushing a lubed finger into Louis slowly. “Wanted this for so long, darling. You’re so pretty,” he breathes, adding a second finger after a bit. 

“Don’t spend too much time on prep, Haz, I’ll be fine,” Louis pants quietly, pushing his hips back. “Just wanna feel your cock inside me, Harry. Please!”

And how could Harry refuse that? He rolls the condom on and coats himself in a generous amount of lube. He gasps as he pushes his way into Louis, loving the way the boy’s tightness swallowed him.

“Feels so good, Louis, shit,” Harry groans, tilting his head back. “Fuck.”

“Big, so big,” Louis whimpers, tugging on the sheets below him. “Move, Harry, move!”

Harry immediately grips Louis’s hips, pounding into the boy below him. The noises coming out of Louis’s mouth are enough to spur Harry on. Louis’s moans are soft and high-pitched, and Harry absolutely loves it. He groans lowly, trying to keep his voice down so he could listen to Louis instead. He knows he isn’t going to last long.

“Not gonna last,” Louis whimpers, speaking exactly what Harry was thinking. “Harry!”

Louis comes across his stomach and the sheets, completely untouched. He lets out a loud cry as he does. The sight alone is enough to send Harry over the edge, moaning as he comes into the condom. He rides out their highs before he slowly pulls out of Louis, tossing the condom to the side. The two cuddle up on the bed together.

“Thank you,” Louis whispers. “Today has been perfect honestly. And once I catch my breath, we can go look at your vinyl collection. Promise.”

Harry laughs quietly as he wraps his arm around Louis’s waist. “Take your time, darling,” he murmurs. 

“I really like you,” Louis whispers. “Thank you for understanding that I need patience. I promise I’ll tell you everything eventually.”

Harry already knows everything, but he keeps his mouth shut. He decides that it would be best not to let Louis know. “I’ll be here for you no matter what,” he promises. “Take your time. And you can always call me if you need me.”

Louis falls asleep on Harry’s chest before the two can get up and go into the living room. Harry knows he needs to tell Louis where he works, but he figures that’s a situation for another time. Right now, he just needs Louis to trust him and feel comfortable enough around him. Things will fall into place eventually.

But for now, Harry’s got a beautiful boy asleep in his arms. A beautiful, broken boy. And everything’s okay.


End file.
